The speaker, Coyote Peterson, is demonstrating the behavior of leeches in a video for his show "Dragon Tails". He begins by stating that he has never been covered in leeches before and has only had a leech on him once when he was holding a snapping turtle. He then explains that not all leeches suck human blood, and he plans to prove this by putting his arm into a container with two different species of leeches: common freshwater leeches and European medicinal leeches.
After dumping the freshwater leeches into a container, he submerges his arm and remains unbitten, stating that these leeches are not interested in sucking blood. The moment of truth arrives when he puts his arm into a container with European medicinal leeches, which are known to feed on human blood. He describes the leeches as swarming his arm and cutting into his skin, releasing saliva that numbs the skin and prevents blood clotting. He also explains the process of removing a leech from the body, emphasizing the importance of not yanking it off as it can cause the leech's teeth to be left in the wound, potentially leading to an infection.
Despite the leeches' feeding, he states that most North American freshwater leeches do not have an interest in drinking human blood. The video ends with him stating that his experience was worth it if it led to people feeling less fearful of going into a lake or pond.
1. The speaker, Coyote Peterson, prepares to stick his arm into a container full of leeches, expressing his nervousness and excitement.
2. The leeches are being tested in two separate containers, one with common freshwater leeches and the other with European medicinal leeches.
3. The European medicinal leeches are known to feast on human blood, which is different from the freshwater leeches that Peterson has had minimal interaction with.
4. Peterson's arm is submerged in the container with freshwater leeches for 15 minutes without being bitten by a leech, proving that these leeches have no interest in sucking human blood.
5. Peterson then puts his arm in a container full of European medicinal leeches, which adhere to his arm and start consuming his blood.
6. The leeches' teeth slice into Peterson's arm, and the leeches release an anti-coagulant enzyme that numbs the skin and prevents the blood from clotting.
7. The leeches' anterior sucker (mouth) slices into Peterson's arm, and they consume blood from the posterior sucker (tail).
8. Peterson explains that the best way to remove a leech is to use the edge of a finger to gently slide the anterior sucker off of the wound.
9. After removing the leeches, Peterson's hand is covered in blood, and the water in the container is red.
10. Peterson concludes that only a small percentage of leech species worldwide would consider consuming human blood.
11. Despite the discomfort and pain, Peterson considers the experience worth it to dispel fear and misconceptions about leeches, especially North American freshwater leeches.
12. Peterson takes on a massive amount of anti-coagulant and bled for nearly 24 hours.
13. He invites viewers to check out the behind-the-adventure section of the video to learn how to clean up and treat the aftermath of leech bites.